Till this moment, I never knew myself.
This is the sound of a mind clicking into place. Elizabeth realizes that wit and quickness can also mislead, especially when charm (Wickham) flatters our biases. The line juxtaposes her old certainty with new insight, compressing growth into a heartbeat. Self-knowledge becomes the novel’s true romance—learning to love what is honest, not what is easy. Austen shows that humiliation can be a gift when it clears our vision. From here, Elizabeth’s choices gain a different weight and warmth.